• Long-standing speculation about the quality of the fare at Sushi on Bloor has been officially validated: Toronto Public Health has temporarily shut down the Annex restaurant due to “improper maintenance of food” and “inadequate pest control.” [BlogTO]

• U.S. federal health investigators have found that most food producers can’t identify the suppliers of their products. But that’s not the worst of it: many of them were unaware that they were even expected to. [New York Times]

• Toronto is not alone in the comfort food craze. Despite severe losses among New York restaurants, broker Steve Kamali believes eateries will survive the recession as long as they adopt “smart concepts,” like quick and casual cuisine. [New York]

• Finally, packed lunches can mirror the calibre of cooking in our favourite restaurants. Here’s a recipe for the ultimate in culinary comfort: a classic roast chicken, which promises loads of transportable leftovers. [Globe and Mail]

• Former food inspector Paul Caron is speaking out against Canada’s food regulations, which he calls inadequate. Caron argues that the problems start at the border, where sketchy regulatory systems facilitate the transportation of unsafe meat. [Healthzone]